Saturday, November 6, 2010

Brother-in-law came for a short visit yesterday, and it was good to see him. A couple of years ago, BIL dropped out of the corporate rat race in Dallas, and moved back to the old family farm in rural NW Arkansas. It's a very long story, but he decided to go reclaim the old family farm which had been abandoned for a couple of decades...get back to a simpler way of life, yada yada yada.

It's been quite interesting to follow the progress, and watch a city boy turn country. Kind of an Oliver Douglas type deal without Lisa, or Eb. And, he has really made many, many friends in the area. He is a "mixer," that likes people, and makes daily trips to his small town to, well, mix. And, he's a helpful sort...a good neighbor, cares about people, etc.

He was telling a story that made me guffaw, and I hope I can make it funny. Now, you have to have at least a foundational understanding of Arkies (especially rural Arkies) to get it. Anyway, BIL was at the Co-Op a couple of weeks ago visiting with others (which is what goes on at the Co-Op). There was a crowd of farmers, and employees just jaw-jackin', when one of them mentioned BIL's new chicken house he had built...and how fancy it looked compared to most chicken houses.

BIL (quite a joker) said, "Well, everything I've built out there is fancy. You know why? Because I'm a metrosexual." Now, understand that BIL is not a metrosexual, but by local standards, he'd be about the closest thing. Regardless, there were a couple of chuckles, and it got left at that.

The next day he was in town and ran in to the lady that runs the Co-Op. She was just giggling as she said, "Yesterday after you left, Toby (a 21-year-old fellow that works for her) came and asked me, 'you reckon he really is a metrosexual?' His eyes were real big, and I could tell he was curious. So, I told him I wasn't sure, and then I asked Toby if he knew what a metrosexual was. And Toby said, 'Well heck yeah! It means he's got boy AND girl parts."

Anway, about a week later, BIL had taken a lady friend (just a friend lady...nothing romantic) up to a neighboring larger town to pick up some stuff in his truck...just helping out a friend. Later that afternoon, he stopped by the Co-Op, and the lady that runs it asked him, "Hey, did you enjoy your date with Lou Ann?"

BIL replied, "I'm not dating Lou Ann, we just went up north to pick up some things. And by the way, who told you anyway?" She said, "Toby told me." BIL queried, "How did Toby know?" "Margene told him." "How did Margene know?" "Rex Crawford told her." "How did Rex know?" "Laurie Wilson saw y'all, and told him about it."

Aaaaaahhhhhh tiny towns, huh?

But what was funny is that when Toby found out, he got on the phone and called Lou Ann. He told her, "Lou Ann, you don't need to be messin' with him. He's a nice guy and all, but just in case you didn't know it, he's metrosexual."